NY Military Museum Marks 80th Anniversary of VE-Day

Victory in Europe in WWII sees unveiling of French Liberty Highway marker at museum

by Richard Goldenberg, New York National Guard

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (05/09/2025) — Maj. Gen. Raymond Shields, the adjutant general of New York, welcomed a French diplomat to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe during a May 8 ceremony.

Shields welcomed Deputy Counsel General Myriam Gil to the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs, New York, for the anniversary of Victory in Europe, or VE-Day.

"This date of May 8th marks the end of the conflict in which our two countries stood side by side and shoulder to shoulder with one shared purpose - to protect democracy and liberty. It is very symbolic that we are celebrating this," Gil said.

"The main message that we have in France when we celebrate this day is first, thank you," she said. "Thank you because we know to whom we owe this victory and our freedom."

Gil and Shields also marked the installation of the museum's newest display, a Voie de la Liberte Borne, or "marker." This was one of many historic road markers along the route of the U.S. Third Army from Normandy, France on D-Day to Bastogne, Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge.

The route-- in English the "Liberty Road" or "Liberty Highway," --spans the 1,146-kilometer route, beginning at St. Mere Eglise, and features one marker every kilometer.

On May 8, 1945, Nazi Germany signed a surrender agreement with the Russian military in Berlin, officially ending the war. The war against Japan would continue until August 1945.

"May 8, 1945, remains one of the most significant dates in history," Shields said. "One of the most evil regimes of all time was defeated."

"This was due, in no small part, to the industrial capability of the United States, the close alliances formed with other democratic nations, and the heroism, determination and skill of America's Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Marines," he said.

The Liberty Road marker was originally presented to the New York National Guard's Camp Smith Training Site, according to Courtney Burns, the museum director. It was turned over to the museum in 2016.

The marker was located in the village of Pleugueneuc, in Brittany, about 40 kilometers north of Rennes, before it made its way to the United States.

"This marker is one of more than a thousand that traces the route taken by the allied forces when they liberated France," Gil said. "Many of them were given as a gift to the United States in order to thank the United States for all that they did during this period. It is a symbol of our country's gratitude to your country, for standing by us during World War II."

Patrick Chaisson, a retired New York Army National Guard major from Schenectady, spoke about the New York National Guard's service in the European theater.

"The contribution of the New York National Guard to Victory in Europe was a substantial one," Chaisson said.

National Guard Soldiers served in an infantry regiment, cavalry group, field artillery battalions, anti-aircraft and anti-tank battalions and medical forces from 1940 to 1945.

"It is a proud record of service," he said.

Most New York National Guardsmen fought in the Pacific. But the ancestors of today's 258th Field Artillery and 101st Cavalry distinguished themselves in Europe.

In the closing days of the war, the National Guardsmen of the 101st Cavalry captured German Field Marshal Kesselring, and the Japanese ambassador to Germany.

"Today we honor the courage of these American Soldiers. They risked their lives or died during the war so that we, French and European people would be free," Gil said.

Chaisson also acknowledged the New York home front.

"Back home, New Yorkers supported the war effort in many ways. Twenty-one percent of all U.S. aircraft produced for World War II came out of a factory in New York State," he said.

The museum exhibits artifacts that reflect all of New York's roles in World War II, said Burns.

"The marker from France's Liberty Highway is only one of the many items we have to tell the story of New Yorkers, and all Americans, in wartime," Shields said.

Burns said the ceremony and marker underscore the role the museum plays in preserving New York history.

"It is also important to remember the goals of the war and the values victory embodied," Burns said. "Resistance to tyranny and authoritarianism, international cooperation and alliances, basic human rights and President Roosevelt's Four Freedoms - freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear."

"This celebration is a magnificent symbol of the 200-year-old alliance between France and the United States and all that we have accomplished together," Gil said. "It is this longstanding friendship, and we know that it will always remain, whatever the circumstance."

The New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center, administered by the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs tells the story of New Yorkers involvement in American Wars from the Revolutionary War to the present day.

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